Month: November 2012

Tomorrow is Green Seattle Day, where volunteers all over the city will be planting native trees and shrubs at city parks. Local environmental restoration non-profit Earthcorps is asking volunteers to help plant 1,000 plants at Golden Gardens tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To volunteer, sign up here, or just show up in the upper parking lot at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Tomorrow (Saturday), from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., Preschool at the Harbor (PATH) at Harbor Church (9204 11th Ave NW) will be hosting a Fall Festival. There will be a bouncy house, fall treats, and games for everyone. The event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, Nov. 3 is the Crown Hill Arts Festival at the Crown Hill Center (9250 14th Ave NW) There will be an art walk, performances, a beer garden, and kids’ activities. Admission is free and it starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 9:30 p.m.

Each month the Ballard Rotary chooses two students as their “students of the month.” This month Ballard High School students Emma Onstad Hawes and Rafael Regan have been selected.

Emma Onstad Hawes

Emma Onstad-Hawes is a top Ballard student and athlete. She has a 4.0 GPA, is a member of the National Honors Society, and is an AP scholar. Last year Emma graduated from the Biotech academy last year and was the editor of the yearbook. She has been on varsity soccer for four years and is a Captain for the second year. Soccer has always been a major part of her life, as Emma coaches a recreational soccer team and helps runa youth soccer camp, all while playing club soccer. She volunteers annually for Relay for Life and at Northwest Little League. Emma is applying to Macalister, Occidental, and the University of Washington.

Rafael Regan

Rafael Regan is an outstanding student. He is the president of Earth Service corps,helps run the recycling/composting program at Ballard, and is on the Debate Team. Rafael has a 3.65 GPA and plays Ultimate Frisbee. He is a member of the Seattle Youth Commission, a group of students who give youth a voice in the City Government. He has worked with Metro and SDOT to provide student feedback. Rafael has also done a lot of community service, including a trip to Guatemala through Global Visionaries. Part of the lead up to this trip included work in city parks, including Jose Rizal Park in Beacon Hill, a park known for violent activity. The group was able to reduce violence in the park, through work with the community to beautify the area with the removal of invasive species. Rafael works at PCC as a courtesy clerk. He is applying to UC Berkeley and the University of Washington, among others, and plans on studying urban planning or public transportation.

Developers have submitted a Land Use Application to turn the east block of 24th Ave NW and NW 65th St. into a residential structure with ground-level retail. The block houses the beloved Viking Tavern, which land owner Bill Parks has said he will consider maintaining with the new development.

The notice of the Land Use Application was published this morning by the Department of Planning and Development. The plan calls for a, “six-story addition to a structure,” containing, “54 residential units above 3,625 sq. ft. of ground level retail.” The project plans include parking for 17 vehicles in a below grade garage. The existing structures would be demolished.

Parks purchased the building in May. In July, he said he met with the owners of The Viking several times and that he is open to the idea of the pub remaining on the property after the development is complete, but wants the building to improve the appearance of the area.

“We want the building to be inviting to families; our real focus is creating a nice community,” Parks said at a public meeting this summer. “People have emotional investments in these businesses, and I can appreciate that, but that doesn’t help us to develop a building.” To read more about the meeting in July, click here.

According to the Land Use Information Bulletin, approvals still needed include Design Review, SEPA Environmental Determination, a Building Permit and Demolition Permit. Comments on this project will be accepted until Nov. 14. To comment, click here.

On Sunday, Nov. 4, the Orchestra of Flight will be performing at the Nordic Heritage Museum. The Orchestra of Flight is a volunteer orchestra of Boeing colleagues that has been performing in the area since 1983, according to the Nordic Heritage Museum. They perform four concert series each season, under the direction of Matthew Kruse. The orchestra will include works by Nordic composers Jean Sibelius and Edvard Grieg. There will be a dessert reception after the concert. The show starts at 2 p.m. and is $10 for museum members and Boeing employees, and $12 for the general public. To reserve a seat, call 206-789 5707 x10, or email rsvp@nordicmuseum.org.